As Product Recalls Mount, Congressman Cohen Backs Effort to Protect Children and Consumers

Washington, D.C. – As recalls of toys and consumer products mount, Congressman Steve Cohen (D-09) backed a package of legislation to help ensure the products that our children use are completely safe and reliable and pledged to support additional efforts to ban lead from toys and other children’s products, protect consumers and strengthen the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

“Raising a family is hard work and parents shouldn’t have to worry about purchasing dangerous products at the supermarket or the mall,” said Congressman Cohen. “I was proud to back a series of bills that will help keep our children safe and I am fighting to get the lead out of the toys our children play with every day.”

On Tuesday, the House unanimously approved four bills to protect children. The bills include:

· The Children’s Gasoline Burn Prevention Act, which will improve the safety of gasoline containers to protect children from death or serious injury.

· The Danny Keysar Child Product Safety Notification Act, which requires consumers to be notified directly when unsafe cribs, high chairs and other durable infant and toddler products are recalled.

· The Product Safety Civil Penalties Improvement Act which encourages companies to report safety problems with their products.

· The Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act which protects children from drowning by requiring the use of proper anti-entrapment drain covers in pools and spas and by creating a swimming pool safety grant program to encourage states to adopt comprehensive safety laws.

Additionally, this fall, the House will consider a comprehensive bill to provide greater resources for the Consumer Product Safety Commission, ban lead in children’s jewelry and products, and make third-party testing of toys and children’s products for compliance with safety standards mandatory. Currently, the Consumer Product Safety Commission is severely understaffed – having lost 15 percent of its workforce since 2004 and employing only one full-time toy tester.

“It seems like every day a new toy is recalled,” added Congressman Cohen. “It’s clear that we need to redouble our efforts to ensure products on the market are safe for children and families.”

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Contact:

Marilyn Dillihay, Press Secretary, Congressman Cohen (202) 225-3265/(202) 368-9275